Whatever Happened to Dawn Marie?

Brian Damage

She was an aspiring model and actress who jokingly said she wanted to pursue a career in professional wrestling. That comment led her to a career working for both ECW and WWE. She would file a lawsuit against the WWE and also become an advocate for wrestlers getting health benefits. Today we ask…’Whatever Happened to’ Dawn Marie?

Dawn Marie Psaltis originally had plans to be in the entertainment industry. She had aspirations to be either a model or an actress. While her career as a model was starting to take off, she jokingly told a friend she thought about becoming a professional wrestler. That friend thought she was serious and introduced her to wrestler Devon Storm aka Crowbar in WCW. The joke turned into a real life opportunity and she began training.

Dawn Marie began her career under the name ‘Dangerous’ Dawn as a manager. Her first protege was none other than Tony Atlas. She would remain on the north east independent scene for several years. Her good friend a wrestler named Simon Diamond got her in touch with ECW star Bubba Ray Dudley. He liked her look and convinced Paul Heyman to bring her in to ECW in 1998.

Her original name was Tammy Lynn Bytch and her gimmick was that of a hot looking woman who was actually clumsy. She was paired with Lance Storm and Heyman loved their on screen chemistry. Eventually, Storm teamed with Justin Credible to form the Impact Players, her name was simply changed to Dawn Marie. She would manage the Impact Players to two ECW world tag team championships. The team would eventually split up and Lance Storm wound up leaving ECW for WCW.

Dawn Marie would provide color commentary alongside Joey Styles in ECW while they tried to figure out who she would be paired up with next. Ultimately, she would manage her good friend and eventual boyfriend/fiancee Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger. She would remain with them until ECW folded in 2001. Dawn Marie appeared for the XWF and hosted a wrestling radio show until getting the call from the WWE. Dawn Marie was with the WWE from 2002 until 2005.

Her most memorable feud was against Torrie Wilson in which she married Torrie’s father becoming Wilson’s step mom. A controversial lesbian angle developed between Torrie and Dawn Marie after that. While with WWE, Dawn Marie got married to a man named Matthew DaMatta. She would soon become pregnant and shortly thereafter was released from the company. She would file a complaint and would reach a settlement out of court with WWE.

After giving birth to a son, Dawn Marie returned to wrestling on the independent circuit. She also became an advocate for professional wrestlers helping them receive money for medical expenses. So the question is: whatever happened to Dawn Marie. Dawn Marie would retire from the business and although she still does occasional appearances, she is now a nurse who works in New Jersey. She is still married and now has two children.

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